Exercise and other efforts to improve physical fitness and general health have become increasing popular. Many different forms of exercise and fitness routines have come into being such as aerobics, weight training, yoga and more recently, exercises related to pilates, gyrotonics and the like. Pilates has become increasingly popular since it provides a unique blend of training to improve flexibility, strength and aerobic stamina.
Various forms of exercise may be performed without the use of any equipment, while other forms may require basic or specialized equipment. Many exercises associated with pilates involve an exercise table that is commonly referred to as a reformer. A reformer typically includes a frame which supports a platform or carriage that may move back and forth along the frame's length. A user may lie, kneel or assume some other body position on the platform. Springs are typically connected to the platform and extend to the frame where one or more of the springs are typically attached to adjust the resistance to be experienced by the user. The user may press against the frame with his or her hands or feet, and thereby move the platform away from the end of the frame against the spring's resistance. The bias of the springs will then tend to move the carriage so that it returns to its original position, and the user may exert resistance to control this return motion. The carriage thus moves back and forth along the length of the frame.
Typical reformers include a foot bar which extends upward from the foot end of the frame and against which the user may apply pressure to move the platform away from the foot end against the spring's resistance. Typical reformers also include handles attached to ropes which the user may also pull to move the platform against the spring's resistance.
Many pilates studios have one or more reformers that are used by different people. Sometimes, a given reformer will be used by numerous people in a given day. The height and body proportions, such as leg and torso lengths, may vary between users, sometimes significantly.
Accordingly, there exists a need to adjust the start position of the spring resisted platform or carriage relative to the foot bar so that users of all heights and leg lengths may exercise in an appropriate and safe range of motion. For example, if a user with long legs were forced to lie down on the carriage in the same starting position as a user with short legs, the legs of the taller user may be unsafely cramped at the starting position.
When the start position of the carriage is changed, that typically also changes the starting resistance of the springs connecting the platform to the frame. For example, where the carriage starts at a position near the foot end of the frame, the springs may hang loosely and provide no resistance. Alternatively, if the carriage starts at a position further away from the foot end of the frame, the springs may already be taut and therefore provide resistance.
Accordingly, there is also a need for a means to adjust the start position of the resistance springs, preferably commensurate with the start position of the carriage. In this manner, users of various heights and with different leg lengths may experience the same or similar start tension and resulting force curves for whatever combination of spring(s) are attached to the frame as the springs are extended through movement of the carriage.
In prior reformers, all the springs are typically attached at one of their ends to the platform underside. One or more of the other ends of the springs are typically attached to a bar that is in turn removably attached to the frame. Sometimes, this bar is referred to as an anchor bar. To adjust the start position of whatever spring(s) are attached to the anchor bar (and thus to the frame), the anchor bar is typically moved between several mounting or functional locations on the frame, such as slots. Several types of mechanisms have been used to adjust the spring anchor bar on pilates equipment, but they typically face several drawbacks.
As an example, certain adjustable anchor bars may be generally cumbersome to adjust between functional locations on the frame because they need to be pulled out of angled slots or the like. This may be cumbersome and result in less than optimum performance where quick adjustment of the anchor bar functional location is desired.
As another example, certain adjustable anchor bars must be completely removed from the reformer when adjusting their functional location. As such, they are loose parts which may be lost, leading to inconvenience and extra expense. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved adjustable anchor bar mechanism which addresses the foregoing issues associated with adjusting its functional location.
As noted above, one or more the springs are typically attached to the anchor bar (and thus to the frame) to vary the resistance experienced by the user. Many adjustable anchor bars are simply round rods that have a number of eyebolts attached thereto. The spring(s) are selectively attached to the eyebolts to vary the resistance to be experienced by the user. However, because these anchor rods are round, they may rotate within the functional slot locations. And oftentimes when the number of springs attached to the anchor bar is adjusted, there are no spring(s) attached to the eyebolts. When this happens, the weight of the eyebolts typically causes the rod to rotate so that the eyebolts are pointing downward. Because of this, when the user or instructor wants to re-attach one or more springs to the rod, they must first rotate the rod in the other direction so that the eyebolts are pointing toward the carriage, and then re-attach the spring(s). This is a cumbersome operation and typically requires two hands, and may result in less than optimum performance where quick adjustment in the number of springs attached to the anchor bar is desired
Many pilates studios are relatively small. In such studios, space may be at a premium, especially if there are a number of reformers in the studio. For example, a pilates studio may provide reformer instruction but may also provide mat or other types of instruction requiring space. Accordingly, a studio may need to move the reformers to provide space for other instruction. Also, where the reformer is intended for home use, the user may want to store the reformer after its use.
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide improved storage capability of reformers. Where reformers may be stored by stacking them on top of each other, there exists a need for an improved manner to pick up the reformer to place it on top of another, as well as the manner in which stacked reformers engage each other. Where reformers may be vertically stored, there exists a need for an improved manner to tilt the reformer from its horizontal functional position to a vertical storage position, as well as improvement in the stability of the reformer once it is in a vertical position.